Fish discards in Malta
Malta: Fish discards was 642.37 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Fish discards in Malta, 1950–2018
Source: Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, fish discards in Malta stood at 642.37.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 96.6% on the previous year and down 95.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fish discards in Malta peaked at 27,481 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 30.31, in 1954.
That places Malta 113th out of 161 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fish discards in Malta, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.88 | — |
| 1951 | 32.57 | -20.3% |
| 1952 | 44.06 | +35.3% |
| 1953 | 38.31 | -13.1% |
| 1954 | 30.31 | -20.9% |
| 1955 | 32.56 | +7.4% |
| 1956 | 33.41 | +2.6% |
| 1957 | 39.88 | +19.3% |
| 1958 | 51.12 | +28.2% |
| 1959 | 53.02 | +3.7% |
| 1960 | 63.34 | +19.5% |
| 1961 | 73.37 | +15.8% |
| 1962 | 74.23 | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 87.66 | +18.1% |
| 1964 | 77.06 | -12.1% |
| 1965 | 76.04 | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 78.79 | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 94.83 | +20.4% |
| 1968 | 78.49 | -17.2% |
| 1969 | 78.07 | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 112.88 | +44.6% |
| 1971 | 379.21 | +235.9% |
| 1972 | 682.71 | +80.0% |
| 1973 | 1,078 | +57.9% |
| 1974 | 1,553 | +44.1% |
| 1975 | 1,746 | +12.5% |
| 1976 | 2,534 | +45.1% |
| 1977 | 3,435 | +35.5% |
| 1978 | 4,952 | +44.2% |
| 1979 | 4,154 | -16.1% |
| 1980 | 2,577 | -38.0% |
| 1981 | 2,602 | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 2,677 | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 4,112 | +53.6% |
| 1984 | 4,296 | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 2,417 | -43.7% |
| 1986 | 3,498 | +44.7% |
| 1987 | 3,906 | +11.7% |
| 1988 | 3,732 | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 2,795 | -25.1% |
| 1990 | 4,364 | +56.2% |
| 1991 | 8,753 | +100.5% |
| 1992 | 7,077 | -19.1% |
| 1993 | 12,540 | +77.2% |
| 1994 | 9,493 | -24.3% |
| 1995 | 10,288 | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 7,628 | -25.9% |
| 1997 | 14,943 | +95.9% |
| 1998 | 16,807 | +12.5% |
| 1999 | 16,111 | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 27,481 | +70.6% |
| 2001 | 24,304 | -11.6% |
| 2002 | 25,427 | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 16,439 | -35.3% |
| 2004 | 12,665 | -23.0% |
| 2005 | 9,355 | -26.1% |
| 2006 | 10,106 | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 11,407 | +12.9% |
| 2008 | 13,326 | +16.8% |
| 2009 | 16,944 | +27.1% |
| 2010 | 18,639 | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 18,659 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 18,927 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 18,864 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 18,861 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 18,904 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 18,914 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 18,897 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 642.37 | -96.6% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 642.37 is below the median for high income countries, which is 8,028, 8% of the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Malta's 642.37 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5,286, 12% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fish discards in Malta changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +235.9% | 112.88 | 379.21 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 39.61 | 30.31 | 53.02 | 10 |
| 1960s | 78.19 | 63.34 | 94.83 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,063 | 112.88 | 4,952 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,261 | 2,417 | 4,296 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10,800 | 4,364 | 16,807 | 10 |
| 2000s | 16,745 | 9,355 | 27,481 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,812 | 642.37 | 18,927 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More agriculture & rural data for Malta
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0047 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 224.75 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0432 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fish discards in Malta?
- Fish discards in Malta was 642.37 in 2018, according to Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fish discards recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 27,481 in 2000.
- What is the lowest fish discards recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.31 in 1954.
- How does Malta rank for fish discards?
- Malta ranks 113th out of 161 countries with data for 2018.
- Is fish discards rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 95.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from Sea Around Us (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fish discards. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Discards are animals thrown back (alive or dead) into the sea after being caught during fishing activities. This represents bycatch (fish caught unintentionally) that is not brought ashore for use.